Honors and Awards

10D Close Up with patient

Criteria for Honors and Awards

To encourage higher scholastic endeavor, leadership, and to stimulate individual study in the various disciplines, honors and awards are given to deserving students.

Dean’s List and Dean’s Scholar

The SPPC shall identify students who are worthy of recognition for academic excellence at the end of the students' first and second years.

  1. The SPPC shall recommend that each student who has a cumulative GPA of at least 3.50 and earns a current term GPA of 3.70 or above, be placed on the Dean's List.
  2. The SPPC shall recommend that each student who has a cumulative GPA of at least 3.70 and earns a current term GPA of 3.90 or above be designated as a Dean's Scholar.
  3. In order to be eligible for recommendation for Dean's List or Dean's Scholar recognition, a student may not have an F grade, a D grade or a W (administrative withdrawal) in a course. Also, the student may not have an I or X grade from any of the previous semesters.

Honors and Awards

American College of Dentistry Student Leadership and Professionalism Awards
The Kentucky Section of the American College of Dentistry annually grants an award to the outstanding dental student who has most clearly demonstrated the important characteristics of professionalism and leadership.

Biomedical Science Awards
Each biomedical science discipline recognizes one dental student each year for outstanding academic accomplishments. Awards are given in the following areas: Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Microbiology & Immunology, Physiology, Oral Biology, Pharmacology and Toxicology, and Physiology and Biophysics. Each recipient receives a formal certificate of achievement.

Clinical Disciplines
Recognition is made of graduating dental students for outstanding achievement in the following:

  • Endodontics
    • American Association of Endodontics
  • Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
    • Dr. Brian Alpert ULSD Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Award
    • American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
    • X. Elwood Sanders Oral Surgery Award
    • American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Implant Student Award
  • Oral Medicine
    • American Academy of Oral Medicine
  • Oral Pathology
    • American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology
  • Orthodontics
    • American Association of Orthodontists
  • Pediatric Dentistry
    • American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry Award
    • Dr. Robert D. Elliott Pediatric Dentistry Award
  • Periodontics
    • American Academy of Periodontology
    • Quintessence Book Award for Clinical Achievement in Periodontics
  • Preventive Dentistry
    • Alliance to the Louisville Dental Society Award
  • Prosthodontics
    • Hanau Prosthodontic Award
    • L.D. Pankey Occlusion Award
    • Southeastern Academy of Prosthodontics
    • ICOI International Congress of Oral Implantologists Award
    • AAID Dental Student Award for Implant Dentistry
    • Academy of Osseointegration Outstanding Dental Student in Implant Dentistry
    • American College of Prosthodontists Student Achievement Award
    • Academy of Dental Materials Student Award
  • Diagnosis and General Dentistry
    • Louisville Dental Society Professionalism Award
    • Quintessence Book Award for Clinical Achievement in Restorative Dentistry
    • American Academy of Orofacial Pain
    • Academy of Operative Dentistry
    • American Academy of Esthetic Dentistry
    • Kentucky Academy of General Dentistry
    • American Dental Society of Anesthesiology Student Award
  • Community Dentistry
    • The American Association of Public Health Dentistry
    • The E.B. Gernert Community Service Award
  • Pierre Fauchard Award
  • Quintessence Book Award for Research
  • Oral Health and Systemic Disease Research Award
  • American Association of Women Dentists
  • Karen Andrus Award
  • American Student Dental Association Award for Excellence
  • American College of Dentists Student Leadership and Professionalism Award
  • International College of Dentists Award for Student Leadership
  • Scholastic and Fraternal Achievement Awards of Psi Omega Fraternity

Honorary Organizations

Delphi Society
The Delphi Society was chartered in 1980 to officially recognize dental students who have shown exceptional aptitude and interest in dental basic sciences. This is an honorary group dedicated to the recognition of student achievement in biomedical sciences and research. Students are eligible for induction after their successful completion of two full years in the dental curriculum.

Omicron Kappa Upsilon
Omicron Kappa Upsilon (OKU), a national honor society, was founded in 1914 to recognize exemplary traits of character, scholarship and the potential for future professional growth. The seniors are selected by OKU faculty members from students in the upper 20% in their class.  Because of its very rigorous selection criteria, OKU is widely recognized as one of the most prestigious awards that can be earned by a dental student.

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